Summary
Rice grain filling rate contributes largely to grain productivity and accumulation of nutrients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of development and physiology in plants and become a ...novel key target for engineering grain size and crop yield. However, there is little studies, so far, showing the miRNA regulation of grain filling and rice yield, in consequence. Here, we show that suppressed expression of rice miR1432 (STTM1432) significantly improves grain weight by enhancing grain filling rate and leads to an increase in overall grain yield up to 17.14% in a field trial. Molecular analysis identified rice Acyl‐CoA thioesterase (OsACOT), which is conserved with ACOT13 in other species, as a major target of miR1432 by cleavage. Moreover, overexpression of miR1432‐resistant form of OsACOT (OXmACOT) resembled the STTM1432 plants, that is, a large margin of an increase in grain weight up to 46.69% through improving the grain filling rate. Further study indicated that OsACOT was involved in biosynthesis of medium‐chain fatty acids. In addition, RNA‐seq based transcriptomic analyses of transgenic plants with altered expression of miR1432 demonstrated that downstream genes of miR1432‐regulated network are involved in fatty acid metabolism and phytohormones biosynthesis and also overlap with the enrichment analysis of co‐expressed genes of OsACOT, which is consistent with the increased levels of auxin and abscisic acid in STTM1432 and OXmACOT plants. Overall, miR1432‐OsACOT module plays an important role in grain filling in rice, illustrating its capacity for engineering yield improvement in crops.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are regarded as one of the most important sources of antibiotics in the environment. Two sampling campaigns over a period of one year in two wastewater treatment ...plants (plant A: activated sludge with chlorination, and plant B: oxidation ditch with UV) of Guangdong Province, China were carried out to assess the occurrence and fate of 11 classes of 50 antibiotics. The wastewater samples were extracted by Oasis HLB cartridges (6mL, 500mg), while the solid samples (sludge and suspended solid matter) were extracted by ultrasonic-assisted extraction with solvents (acetonitrile and citric acid buffer), followed by an enrichment and clean-up step with solid-phase extraction using SAX-HLB cartridges in tandem. The results showed the presence of 20 and 17 target compounds in the influents and effluents, respectively, at the concentrations ranging from low ng/L to a few μg/L. Sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, anhydro erythromycin and trimethoprim were most frequently detected in the WWTPs wastewaters. Twenty-one antibiotics were found in the sewage sludge from the two WWTPs at the concentrations up to 5800ng/g, with tetracycline, oxytetracycline, norfloxacin and ofloxacin being the predominant antibiotics. The total mass loads of antibiotics per capita in the two plants ranged from 494 to 901μg/d/inhabitant (672±182μg/d/inhabitant) in the influents, from 130 to 238μg/d/inhabitant (175±45μg/d/inhabitant) in the effluents and from 107 to 307μg/d/inhabitant (191±87.9μg/d/inhabitant) in the dewatered sludge, respectively. The aqueous removals for sulfonamides, macrolides, trimethoprim, lincomycin and chloramphenicol in the WWTPs were mainly attributed to the degradation processes, while those for tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones were mainly due to the adsorption onto sludge.
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•Twenty and 17 target antibiotics were found in the influents and effluents.•Twenty-one antibiotics (up to 5800ng/g) were found in sewage sludge from two WWTPs.•Mass loads of antibiotics per capita in the two plants were calculated.•Sulfonamides, macrolides, trimethoprim and lincomycin were removed by biodegradation.•Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones were mainly adsorbed to the sludge.
This paper evaluated the excretion masses and environmental occurrence of 11 classes of 50 antibiotics in six typical swine and dairy cattle farms in southern China. Animal feeds, wastewater and ...solid manure samples as well as environmental samples (soil, stream and well water) were collected in December 2010 from these farms. Twenty eight antibiotics, including tetracyclines, bacitracin, lincomycin, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, ceftiofur, trimethoprim, macrolides, and florfenicol, were detected in the feeds, animal wastes and receiving environments. The normalized daily excretion masses per swine and cattle were estimated to be 18.2mg/day/swine and 4.24mg/day/cattle. Chlortetracycline (11.6mg/day/swine), bacitracin (3.81mg/day/swine), lincomycin (1.19mg/day/swine) and tetracycline (1.04mg/day/swine) were the main contributors to the normalized daily excretion masses of antibiotics per swine, while chlortetracycline (3.66mg/day/cattle) contributed 86% of the normalized daily excretion masses of antibiotics per cattle. Based on the survey of feeds and animal wastes from the swine farms and interview with the farmers, antibiotics excreted by swine were mainly originated from the feeds, while antibiotics excreted by dairy cattle were mainly from the injection route. If we assume that the swine and cattle in China excrete the same masses of antibiotics as the selected livestock farms, the total excretion mass by swine and cattle per annum in China could reach 3,080,000kg/year and 164,000kg/year. Various antibiotics such as sulfonamides, tetracyclines, fluroquinolones, macrolides, trimethoprim, lincomycin and florfenicol were detected in well water, stream and field soil, suggesting that livestock farms could be an important pollution source of various antibiotics to the receiving environments.
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► Twenty six antibiotics were quantified in six swine and dairy farms. ► The normalized excretion mass of antibiotics per swine was more than per cattle. ► Growth promoters contributed above 80% of the excretion mass in swine farms. ► Total excretion mass by swine and cattle in China could reach 3080 and 164t/a. ► Significant concentrations of antibiotics were found in the receiving environment.
The protective role of melatonin in plants against various abiotic stresses have been widely demonstrated, but poorly explored in organ-specific responses and the transmission of melatonin signals ...across organs. In this study, the effects of melatonin with the root-irrigation method and the leaf-spraying method on the antioxidant system and photosynthetic machinery in maize seedlings under drought stress were investigated. The results showed that drought stress led to the rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS), severe cell death, and degradation of D1 protein, which were mitigated by the melatonin application. The application of melatonin improved the photosynthetic activities and alleviated the oxidative damages of maize seedlings under the drought stress. Compared with the leaf-spraying method, the root-irrigation method was more effective on enhancing drought tolerance. Moreover, maize seedlings made organ-specific physiological responses to the drought stress, and the physiological effects of melatonin varied with the dosage, application methods and plant organs. The signals of exogenous melatonin received by roots could affect the stress responses of leaves, and the melatonin signals perceived by leaves also led to changes in physiological metabolisms in roots under the stress. Consequently, the whole seedlings coordinated the different parts and made a systemic acclimation against the drought stress. Melatonin as a protective agent against abiotic stresses has a potential application prospect in the agricultural industry.
We investigated the removal efficiencies of 68 selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) spiked in a wastewater matrix by ferrate (Fe(VI)) ...and further evaluated the degradation of these micropollutants present in secondary effluents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by applying Fe(VI) treatment technology. Fe(VI)treatment resulted in selective oxidation of electron-rich organic moieties of these target compounds, such as phenol, olefin, amine and aniline moieties. But Fe(VI) failed to react with triclocarban, 3 androgens, 7 acidic pharmaceuticals, 2 neutral pharmaceuticals and erythromycin-H2O.Thirty-one target EDCs and PPCPs were detected in the effluents of the two WWTPs with concentrations ranging from 0.2 ± 0.1 ng L−1 to 1156 ± 182 ng L−1.Fe(VI) treatment resulted in further elimination of the detected EDCs and PPCPs during Fe(VI) treatment of the secondary wastewater effluents. The results from this study clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of Fe(VI) treatment as a tertiary treatment technology for a broad spectrum of micropollutants in wastewater.
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► Ferrate(VI) treatment resulted in selective oxidation of electron-rich organic moieties. ► Ferrate(VI) failed to react with triclocarban, 3 androgens, 7 acidic drugs, 3neutral drugs. ► Ferrate(VI) treatment eliminated the detected EDCs and PPCPs in the secondary effluents.
The cereal weevil, Sitophilus zeamais is one of the most destructive pests of stored cereals worldwide. Frequent use of fumigants for managing stored-product insects has led to the development of ...resistance in insects. Essential oils from aromatic plants including the tea oil plant, Melaleuca alternifolia may provide environmentally friendly alternatives to currently used pest control agents. However, little is known about molecular events involved in stored-product insects in response to plant essential oil fumigation.
M. alternifolia essential oil was shown to possess the fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais. The constituent, terpinen-4-ol was the most effective compound for fumigant toxicity. M. alternifolia essential oil significantly inhibited the activity of three enzymes in S. zeamais, including two detoxifying enzymes, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and carboxylesterase (CarE), as well as a nerve conduction enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Comparative transcriptome analysis of S. zeamais through RNA-Seq identified a total of 3,562 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 2,836 and 726 were up-regulated and down-regulated in response to M. alternifolia essential oil fumigation, respectively. Based on gene ontology (GO) analysis, the majority of DEGs were involved in insecticide detoxification and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, an abundance of DEGs mapped into the metabolism pathway in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database were associated with respiration and metabolism of xenobiotics, including cytochrome P450s, CarEs, GSTs, and ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters). Some DEGs mapped into the proteasome and phagosome pathway were found to be significantly enriched. These results led us to propose a model of insecticide action that M. alternifolia essential oil likely directly affects the hydrogen carrier to block the electron flow and interfere energy synthesis in mitochondrial respiratory chain.
This is the first study to perform a comparative transcriptome analysis of S. zeamais in response to M. alternifolia essential oil fumigation. Our results provide new insights into the insecticidal mechanism of M. alternifolia essential oil fumigation against S. zeamais and eventually contribute to the management of this important agricultural pest.
► An method is developed for simultaneous determination of 11 classes of antibiotics. ► Water samples (pH 3, 0.2g Na2EDTA) were extracted by HLB cartridges. ► Solid samples were extracted using ...acetonitrile and citric buffer. ► The extracts were analyzed by RRLC–MS/MS.
A robust and sensitive analytical method is presented in which 11 classes of antibiotics are simultaneously extracted and determined in surface water, lagoon wastewater, influent, effluent, sediment, manure and sludge. Water samples with different volumes were adjusted to pH 3, added with 0.2g Na2EDTA and then extracted using Oasis hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridges. Extraction of solid samples was carried out by a combination of ultrasonic and vortex mixing using a mixture of acetonitrile and citric buffer at pH 3 as the extraction solution. The extracts of the solid samples were then cleaned-up by a tandem solid phase extraction (SPE) method using a strong anion exchange cartridge (SAX) and a HLB cartridge, followed by analysis using rapid resolution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC–MS/MS) equipped with electrospray ionization source. Among the 50 target compounds, the recoveries in the range of 50–150% were obtained for 39, 40, 36, 40, 38, 33 and 36 antibiotics in the spiked samples of surface water, lagoon wastewater, influent, effluent, sediment, manure and sludge with three concentrations, respectively. Method quantification limits (MQLs) for the target compounds (except sulfaguanidine and sulfanilamide) were in the range of 0.52–5.88ng/L, 2.36–65.8ng/L, 1.73–20ng/L, 1.42–9.52ng/L, 0.64–6.67ng/g (except bacitracin and cloxacillin), 1.33–17.4ng/g (except salinomycin, narasin, monensin, cloxacillin and novobiocin) and 1.50–28.6ng/g (except salinomycin, narasin, monensin and cloxacillin) in surface water, lagoon wastewater, influent, effluent, sediment, manure and sludge, respectively. The developed analytical method was successfully applied in the determination of target compounds in wastewater and sludge samples from Huiyang wastewater treatment plants, and in ground water, lagoon wastewater, manure and sediment collected from a pig farm, in South China.
Spinal long-term potentiation (LTP) at C-fiber synapses is hypothesized to underlie chronic pain. However, a causal link between spinal LTP and chronic pain is still lacking. Here, we report that ...high-frequency stimulation (HFS; 100 Hz, 10 V) of the mouse sciatic nerve reliably induces spinal LTP without causing nerve injury. LTP-inducible stimulation triggers chronic pain lasting for more than 35 days and increases the number of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) terminals in the spinal dorsal horn. The behavioral and morphological changes can be prevented by blocking NMDA receptors, ablating spinal microglia, or conditionally deleting microglial brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). HFS-induced spinal LTP, microglial activation, and upregulation of BDNF are inhibited by antibodies against colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1). Together, our results show that microglial CSF1 and BDNF signaling are indispensable for spinal LTP and chronic pain. The microglia-dependent transition of synaptic potentiation to structural alterations in pain pathways may underlie pain chronicity.
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•HFS triggers synaptic plasticity of CGRP afferents and chronic pain•LTP-inducible HFS activates spinal microglia through CSF1 signaling•Microglial BDNF is essential for HFS-induced spinal LTP and chronic pain
Zhou et al. characterize chronic pain behaviors triggered by LTP-inducible HFS without nerve injury. They identify that HFS-induced LTP is accompanied by an increase in CGRP terminals in the spinal dorsal horn. Activation of neuronal CSF1-microglial BDNF signaling is indispensable for the synaptic and structural plasticity underlying HFS-induced chronic pain.
This study investigated the occurrence of 43 emerging contaminants including 9 endocrine-disrupting chemicals and 34 pharmaceuticals in three sites in Hebei Province, north China. Each site has a ...wastewater irrigated plot and a separate groundwater irrigated plot for comparison purpose. The results showed that the concentrations of the target compounds in the wastewater irrigated soils were in most cases higher than those in the groundwater irrigated soils. Among the 43 target compounds, nine compounds bisphenol-A, triclocarban, triclosan, 4-nonylphenol, salicylic acid, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, trimethoprim and primidone were detected at least once in the soils. Preliminary environmental risk assessment showed that triclocarban might pose high risks to terrestrial organisms while the other detected compounds posed minimal risks. Irrigation with wastewater could lead to presence or accumulation of some emerging contaminants to some extent in irrigated soils.
► Some EDCs and PPCPs were detected in the wastewater irrigated soils. ► Application of reclaimed water could lead to accumulation of some compounds. ► Groundwater has been contaminated by some compounds. ► Triclocarban posed high risks to soil organisms.
Application of reclaimed wastewater on agricultural land could lead to the presence or accumulation of wastewater-related contaminants in soils.
Melatonin (
-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) plays important role in multiple plant developmental processes and stress responses. We investigated the possible mediatory role of melatonin in growth, ...photosynthesis, and the response to cold stress in rice by using three different experiments: soaking seed; immersing roots, and spraying to leaves with 0, 20, or 100 μM melatonin. After 6 days of cold stress, the growth of rice seedlings was significantly inhibited, but this inhibition was alleviated by exogenous melatonin. Furthermore, exogenous melatonin pretreatment alleviated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and cell death induced by cold stress. Melatonin pretreatment also relieved the stress-induced inhibitions to photosynthesis and photosystem II activities. Further investigations showed that, antioxidant enzyme activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels were increased by melatonin pretreatments. The treatment methods of seed soaking and root immersion were more effective in improving cold stress resistance than the spraying method. The results also indicated the dose-dependent response of melatonin on rice physiological, biochemical, and photosynthetic parameters.
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